Overhead spool mount and method

ABSTRACT

The system for mounting a spool includes first and second brackets, each having an extension portion and a mounting portion, a second extension portion having an aperture, and a rod having a bar portion provided between the first extension portion and the second extension portion for supporting a spool, the rod passing through the aperture in the second extension portion. The method includes sliding a spool onto the rod and mounting the system with the mounting portions of the brackets.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related generally to spools for supporting filaments, and, more particularly, this invention is related to a method and system for mounting a spool of filaments such that the filaments are accessible.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the central office environment, station grade (distribution) wire is used to connect one piece of telecommunications equipment to another. By doing so, new communication circuits can be installed and existing services maintained. Daily, technicians are required to use wire that has been shipped and dispensed on spools, which are typically approximately 6 to 10 inches in diameter. Currently, in many central offices, technicians have either created a temporary spool holder or merely placed them on the floor or a table or the offices have purchased costly floor spool holders.

Handmade spool mounts are unreliable and easily breakable due to excessive use. Spool holders available for purchase are either designed on carts, mounted in a case or caddy, or are otherwise floor models. These models and designs can become a trip hazard or, at least, cumbersome depending on floor space available. In many central offices, telecommunications rooms, or customer phone rooms, floor space is a valuable asset. Many aisles that the spool mounts must be placed in are narrow which causes technicians to either step around or over continuously, which can be burdensome. Furthermore, the floor models and carts available for purchase have been found to be relatively costly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments include a system for mounting a spool, the system including first and second brackets, each having an extension portion and a mounting portion, a second extension portion having an aperture, and a rod having a bar portion provided between the first extension portion and the second extension portion for supporting a spool, the rod passing through the aperture in the second extension portion.

Embodiments further include a system for mounting a spool, the system including first and second brackets, each having an extension portion and a mounting portion perpendicularly depending from the extension portion, each extension portion having an aperture and each mounting portion having an opening. Embodiments further include a rod passing through the apertures and having a bar portion provided between the extension portions for supporting a spool. The first and second brackets are slidable along the rod between a first stopping device on the rod and a second stopping device on the rod. Embodiments include a removable second stopping device.

The systems can also be viewed as providing methods for supporting a spool of filament including providing a first bracket with a first extension portion and a first mounting portion, extending a rod from the first extension portion, threading a spool on the rod, providing a second bracket with a second extension portion and a second mounting portion, the second extension portion having an aperture, threading the rod through the aperture in the second extension portion, attaching the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion to an overhead location, and pulling on an end of the filament to rotate the filament off of the spool.

Other systems, methods, and/or computer program products according to embodiments will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon review of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, and/or computer program products be included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of embodiments of a spool mount assembly;

FIG. 2 shows a front plan view of embodiments of the spool mount assembly;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of embodiments of a bracket for use in the spool mount assembly;

FIG. 4 shows a front plan view of embodiments of the bracket of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a side plan view of embodiments of the bracket of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 shows a front plan view of embodiments of a rod for use in the spool mount assembly;

FIG. 7 shows a side plan view of embodiments of the rod inserted into embodiments of the bracket;

FIG. 8 shows a top plan view of embodiments of the spool mount assembly;

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of embodiments of the spool mount assembly holding a pair of spools; and,

FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of embodiments of a spool mount assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Turning to FIGS. 1 and 2, exemplary embodiments of a spool mount assembly 10 are shown. The spool mount assembly is used to hang one or more spools of wire or other filament from an overhead location, such as a ceiling or above head beams. In a central office environment of a telecommunications facility, overhead wire racks, through which cabling is run, are attached to the ceiling, and the spool mount assembly is attachable to such overhead wire racks. These wire racks include preformed apertures and therefore the spool mount assembly 10 can utilize such apertures on the wire racks for mounting. By using the spool mount assembly, a technician or other user can place one or more spools on the assembly and retrieve wire as needed. One end of the wire from each spool can dangle down within reach of the technicians such that the actual spool mount assembly 10 and its spools can be mounted where desired so as not to interfere with traffic along the floor below.

The spool mount assembly 10 may include a pair of brackets 20, such as a first bracket 12 and an oppositely facing second bracket 14. A rod 16 passes through the first and second brackets 12, 14. The brackets 20 may be the same for manufacturing simplicity. The pieces of the spool mount assembly 10 may be made from stainless steel, reinforced plastic, or other suitable material of sufficient strength and durability for carrying spools overhead and withstanding frequent tugging. The choice between using metal or plastic could be made based on weight, if weight is an issue with installation or shipping. By using the correct plastic material, changing from metal to plastic may not affect the durability of the device.

With reference now to FIGS. 3-5, the brackets 20 are shown. Each bracket 20 includes an extension portion 22 which defines how far from the ceiling or the overhead wire racks or beams the assembly 10 hangs down. Because the wire may be unrolled from the spools as long as is desired to be within reach of the technicians or users, the extension portion 22 need not be much longer than a maximum radius of the spool anticipated for use on the assembly 10. In exemplary embodiments, the extension portion 22 may have a length of 12 inches, however it should be understood that any length that would accommodate the spool placed upon the assembly 10 would be within the scope of the assembly 10.

The extension portion 22 includes a first end 24 and a second end 26. Extending angularly from the first end 24 of the extension portion 22 is a mounting portion 28. In exemplary embodiments of the assembly 10, the mounting portion 28 may be perpendicular to the extension portion 22. The mounting portion 28 includes an aperture 30, shown in phantom in FIGS. 4 and 5. The aperture 30 may have a longitudinal axis which is parallel to a plane passing through the extension portion 22. The aperture 30 is preferably sized to accommodate a bolt, screw, or other retaining device which would pass through both the aperture 30 and a complimentary opening in the overhead wire rack, or through the aperture 30 and into the ceiling or other mounting surface.

The extension portion 22 may further include an aperture 32 adjacent the second end 26 of the extension portion 22. The aperture 32 may include a longitudinal axis which is parallel to the mounting portion 28. The aperture 32 is sized to allow the passage of rod 16, as will be further described. The aperture 32 may be larger in diameter than a diameter of rod 16 so that the rod 16 passes freely through the aperture 32, and allowing adjustment of the distance between the first bracket 12 and second bracket 14 during mounting of the assembly 10.

Turning now to FIG. 6, the rod 16 is shown to include a first end 34 and a second end 36. A head 38 of the rod 16 is positioned at the first end 34. The head 38 is sized with at least one dimension greater than the diameter of the aperture 32 to prevent the head 38 of the rod 16 from passing through the aperture 32. A bar portion 40 of the rod 16 extends from the head 38 to the second end 36 of the rod 16. The bar portion 40 supports the spool or spools and therefore is preferably provided with a circular cross-section so that the spools are able to spin freely upon the bar portion 40. While the length of the bar portion 40 may vary depending on its intended use, it should be at least longer than a width of one spool so as to accommodate both the spool and the pair of brackets 20. Exemplary embodiments of the rod 16 may include a length of 12.5 inches, which is long enough to accommodate two standard spools of telecommunication wire. It should also be understood that embodiments of the rod 16 may includes rods that are both shorter or longer so as to accommodate any number of spools, so long as the bar portion 40 is stiff enough to accommodate the spools without bending or being otherwise adversely affected.

The bar portion 40 may include a pin hole 42 adjacent the second end 36 of the rod 16. The pin hole 42 may pass diametrically through the bar portion 40. The pin hole 42 may be sized to accept a removable pin 44, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, such as a cotter pin, although other types of pins and retainers would also be within the scope of this invention. When inserted into the pin hole 42, the pin 44 prevents the bracket 14 from sliding off of the bar portion 40. The pin 44 and the pin hole 42 may include a cooperable retaining mechanism to prevent the pin 44 from inadvertently being removed from the pin hole 42.

Turning to FIG. 9, for assembling the spool mount assembly 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the brackets 20 may be oppositely facing, with the mounting portions 28 pointing in opposite directions, for mounting purposes. The second end 36 of the rod 16 is then passed through the aperture 32 in the first bracket 12, threaded through the hole 50 of at least one spool 48, and then through the aperture 32 in the second bracket 14. The pin 44 is then passed through the pin hole 42 for retaining the first and second brackets 12, 14 on the rod 16, and for retaining the at least one spool 48 therebetween. The first bracket 12 is prevented from sliding off the first end 34 of the rod 16 by the head 38. A pair of bolts or screws 52 may then be passed through the apertures 30 for securing the spool mount assembly 10 into an overhead wire rack 54 or onto the ceiling. The wire 56 or other filament contained on the spool or spools 48 is then pulled down to a distance accessible to a technician or other user. In alternate embodiments of the spool mount assembly 10, the spool mount assembly 10 may be wall mounted with the mounting portions 28 lying flush against a wall. When the spool or spools 48 become depleted of the wire 56 or filament, they may be replaced by removing the rod 16 from the second bracket 14, sliding the empty spools off of the rod 16, and replacing the empty spools with full spools. The brackets 20, in particular the extension portion 22, may be provided with some degree of flexibility. Also, it should be noted that the entire assembly 10 need not be removed from the ceiling or overhead wire rack 54 in order to refill the spool mount assembly 10. That is, when the spools 48 require replacing, the pin 44 can be removed, which allows the user to remove the rod 40, which in turn allows access for spool 48 replacement.

In alternate embodiments of the spool mount assembly 10, as shown in FIG. 10, the spool mount assembly 10 may be assembled such that the mounting portions 28 of the brackets 20 are pointing outwardly instead of inwardly, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Since the brackets 20 may slide on and off of the rod 16, the positioning of the brackets 20 may be easily altered depending on the desired location for installation. With further reference to FIG. 10, instead of a pin hole 42 and pin 44 to retain the brackets 20 upon the rod 16, a clip 46 is placed adjacent the second end 36 of the rod 16. The clip 46 functions in a similar manner to the pin 44, in that it prevents the second bracket 14 from slipping off of the rod 16. Although a pin 44 and a clip 46 are shown for preventing the rod 16 from slipping out of the bracket 14, it should be noted that alternate devices for retaining the rod 16 on the bracket 14 are within the scope of the embodiments of the spool mount assembly 10.

For a manufactured element, the process of manufacturing the element is determined to be good if over 50%. Using the assembly efficiency formula for the spool mount, exemplary embodiments of spool mounts are shown to be Ema of 71%. Ema=(Nmin*ta)/tma

-   -   Where:     -   Nmin is the theoretical minimum number of parts,     -   ta is the average assembly time for a part, and,     -   tma is the estimated manual assembly time.

By example only, Nmin may be 6 parts, ta may be 3 seconds per part, and tma may be 25.29 seconds. The 6 exemplary parts in this equation are the 2 brackets 20, 1 rod 40, 1 pin 44 (or other retainer), and 2 screw and nut assemblies. The spools may not form part of the efficiency equation because they are not related to the initial set up of the mount. Using the equation, the Ema turns out to be 0.71, or approximately 71% efficiency for the process.

In addition to having an efficient assembly process, the spool mount assembly 10 may be manufactured less expensively than cart mounted or floor mounted systems as the amount of material required to manufacture the spool mount assembly 10 is less than that of a cart mounted or floor mounted system. The spool mount assembly 10 can be easily installed and removed, and can be moved from location to location. The spool mount assembly 10 frees up space in equipment aisles by placing the spools overhead for easy access. Because the brackets 12 and 14 are not permanently adhered to the rod 16, the spool mount assembly 10 is adaptable to nearly any desired location for securement as the distance between the brackets 12 and 14 is easily altered. Furthermore, the brackets 12 and 14 are securable to a variety of surfaces including, but not limited to, ceilings, overhead wire racks, ceiling beams, and walls. When wall mounted, the spool mount assembly 10 could be mounted such that the rod 40 is either parallel with the floor, perpendicular to the floor, or in any other desired orientation. While mounting the spool mount assembly 10 overhead frees up floor space, the spool mount assembly 10 is also securable to the floor or any other mounting surface, if so desired.

While the invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. do not denote any order or importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. 

1. A system for mounting a spool, the system comprising: a first bracket, the first bracket having a first extension portion and a first mounting portion; a second bracket, the second bracket having a second extension portion and a second mounting portion, the second extension portion provided with an aperture; and, a rod having a bar portion provided between the first extension portion and the second extension portion for supporting a spool, wherein the rod passes through the aperture in the extension portion.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the rod has a first end and a second end, a stopping device provided on the second end of the rod for preventing the rod from slipping through the aperture.
 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the rod has a pin hole adjacent the second end, and the stopping device is a pin passing through the pin hole.
 4. The system of claim 2 wherein the stopping device is a clip positioned on the rod adjacent the second end.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first extension portion is provided with a first aperture, wherein the aperture on the second extension portion is a second aperture, the rod passing through the first aperture and the second aperture.
 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the rod has a first end and a second end, the first end provided with a stopping device for preventing the rod from slipping through the first aperture.
 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the stopping device is a head portion on the first end of the rod, the head portion larger than the first aperture.
 8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first mounting portion is provided with a first opening, and the second mounting portion is provided with a second opening.
 9. The system of claim 8 further comprising a first bolt passing through the first opening for securing the first mounting portion to a surface, and a second bolt passing through the second opening for securing the second mounting portion to the surface.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first mounting portion is angularly extended from the first extension portion and the second mounting portion is angularly extended from the second extension portion.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the first mounting portion is perpendicular to the first extension portion and the second mounting portion is perpendicular to the second extension portion.
 12. The system of claim 10 wherein the first mounting portion has a first end attached to the first extension portion and a second end, and the second mounting portion has a first end attached to the second extension portion and a second end, wherein a distance between the first extension portion and the second extension portion is less than a distance between the second end of the first mounting portion and the second end of the second mounting portion.
 13. The system of claim 10 wherein the first mounting portion has a first end attached to the first extension portion and a second end, and the second mounting portion has a first end attached to the second extension portion and a second end, wherein a distance between the first extension portion and the second extension portion is greater than a distance between the second end of the first mounting portion and the second end of the second mounting portion.
 14. The system of claim 1 wherein the first extension portion, the rod, and the second extension portion form a U shape.
 15. The system of claim 1 further comprising a spool threaded upon the bar portion, wherein the spool is slidable upon the bar portion and rotatable about the bar portion.
 16. The system of claim 15 wherein the bar portion is sized for holding a plurality of spools thereon.
 17. The system of claim 1 further comprising a wire rack for suspending the system from a ceiling, the first and second mounting portions securable to the wire rack.
 18. The system of claim 1 wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are movable along the rod along a longitudinal axis of the rod.
 19. A spool mounting system comprising: a first bracket, the first bracket having a first extension portion and a first mounting portion perpendicularly depending from the first extension portion, the first extension portion having a first aperture and the first mounting portion having a first opening; a second bracket, the second bracket having a second extension portion and a second mounting portion perpendicularly depending from the second extension portion, the second extension portion having a second aperture and the second mounting portion having a second opening; and, a rod passing through the first aperture and the second aperture and having a bar portion provided between the first extension portion and the second extension portion for supporting a spool, wherein the first bracket and the second bracket are slidable along the rod between a first stopping device on the rod and a second stopping device on the rod, wherein the second stopping device is removable.
 20. A method of supporting a spool of filament comprising: providing a first bracket with a first extension portion and a first mounting portion; extending a rod from the first extension portion; threading a spool on the rod; providing a second bracket with a second extension portion and a second mounting portion, the second extension portion having an aperture; threading the rod through the aperture in the second extension portion; attaching the first mounting portion and the second mounting portion to an overhead location; and, pulling on an end of the filament to rotate the filament off of the spool.
 21. The method of claim 20 further comprising attaching a stopping device to an end of the rod for preventing the rod from slipping out of the aperture of the second extension portion.
 22. The method of claim 20 further comprising, prior to attaching the second mounting portion to an overhead location, adjusting the position of the second extension portion along the rod for changing a distance between the first extension portion and the second extension portion. 